Recently, a drama set in a postpartum care center aired an episode dealing with postpartum hair loss and female pattern hair loss, drawing attention. When a leading character delivered the line, "It's not only the baby bottles that are empty," it resonated deeply among new mothers.
In fact, there are countless cases of women experiencing stress from female pattern hair loss symptoms after childbirth. Such postpartum hair loss symptoms are very common—reportedly experienced by 1 in 3 mothers. The cause is that after childbirth, levels of the female hormone estrogen decrease sharply, accelerating postpartum telogen hair loss symptoms.
Postpartum hair loss usually begins with 30–40% of the total hair shedding during the 3–6 months after delivery. Hair loss gradually stops after 6 months, and it is generally common to return to a normal state after 1 year has passed. During this period, efforts such as using anti-hair loss shampoo, consuming sufficient protein, and avoiding hair treatments are necessary.
The problem is that in some cases, hair loss symptoms persist even after a year has passed since childbirth, and normal hair condition is not recovered. Given that women tend to be sensitive about appearance, experiencing postpartum hair loss symptoms that continue for more than a year often leads to extreme frustration. In severe cases, it may lead to depression or obsessive symptoms, making it difficult to carry on normal social life.
Therefore, if postpartum hair loss does not heal naturally even after 1 year following childbirth, it is advisable to undergo detailed examination and treatment.
What matters is that preventive procedures should be considered before experiencing postpartum hair loss. Restoring hair that has already fallen out is difficult. Therefore, the key is to fundamentally minimize hair shedding itself by performing a procedure that can prevent postpartum hair loss before childbirth.
If you have tried every method said to be good for hair loss but were dissatisfied because there was no improvement, or if drug therapy and laser therapy are difficult due to pregnancy and childbirth plans, you may consider a thread lifting procedure using poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA). The principle is to inject threads made of 100% PLLA into the scalp to improve female pattern hair loss.
Receiving a PLLA procedure in advance before pregnancy helps minimize postpartum hair loss. Because PLLA treatment injects 100% PLLA threads directly into the scalp and acts locally, concerns about systemic side effects are minimized and the duration is long. In particular, an advantage is the wide interval between treatments, as the treatment effect lasts for 1–2 years.
Previously, PDO threads—the same as those used for general skin lifting—were mainly used, but due to their characteristic of being decomposed and absorbed quickly, the time during which stimulation was delivered was short compared with the 2–3 year hair growth cycle. In contrast, when a lifting procedure is applied to the scalp using PLLA threads, the point is that mechanical stimulation ignites and starts up the fibroblasts. In addition, the induction of a foreign body reaction, which is a chemical stimulus, promotes new collagen generation.
Director Yoo Hwa-jung of Modi Hair Plant explained, "The PLLA procedure works on the principle of promoting microcirculation in the scalp to give vitality to the hair follicles," adding, "The threads deliver to the scalp a role much like a supercharger that supplies more oxygen to an engine." She added, "In particular, PLLA threads take about 1–2 years to fully decompose, so they are effective in supplying sufficient stimulation over a long period."
Source: Segye Biz │ Published 2020.11.16